Monthly Archives: October 2014

I’ve decided to open Music + Beer up to songs that simply mention “beer,” because it greatly expands our selection.

Many awesome songs mention beer, but the first one that comes to mind is the aptly titled “Beer” by Reel Big Fish. Reel Big Fish are a fun ska band from the ’90s. I totally downloaded this to my iPod via Limewire back in the day.

Canuck, formerly known as Crazy Canuck, has been around for over four years (but based on the old can design I had assumed it was around for much longer). It’s a great example of a beer that completely profited from rebranding. Now that the can is prettier, people notice it more, and you can get it on draft at several beer bars in and around the city. It’s a west coast (i.e. American) style beer, and the taste is bright and very hoppy; the flagship Great Lakes flavour. Great Lakes reps have told me that it is “fresher” now. Probably because they’re making more of it.

I’ve even heard people speculate that the recipe is different. When I asked GLB rep Jen Shute if this is the case, again, the answer is simple: “same old Canuck, just fresher.”

Since pale ales are meant to be consumed when they’re freshest, I suggest you buy one and drink it immediately. Listen to this song while you’re at it. Cheers to you, Gordie Levesque.

As far as I know, there are no songs that feature craft beer brands (prove me wrong). Today we’re giving a shoutout to Lana Del Ray, who mentions PBR in her hit song “This Is What Makes Us Girls.” According to this website, “Pabst Blue Ribbon is a beer company based in LA, where Lana lives. When they were younger they had limited access to varieties of alcohol, meaning they drank cans upon cans of cold Pabst Blue Ribbon.”

Apparently they would also dance on tables, piss off cops and cry about boys.

California beer. Some of the best beer in the world, and one of the reasons I want to move south of the border. San Francisco’s flagship beer, Anchor Steam, is a balanced, hop-forward biscuity 4.8% ale that comes in cute stubby bottles with a classic anchor design.

Last year, I watched a documentary on YouTube called “Craft Beer – A Hopumentary” and within the first two minutes they talk about Anchor Steam Beer revolutionizing America’s beer scene in the ’80s. There were around 100 breweries in the U.S. at that time, and now there are close to 3,000. That’s a 100 per cent increase in breweries every two years!

It’s called a steam beer because it was traditionally brewed in 1896 without refrigeration — the brewers used the cool California air to release steam off the boil. Though it’s no longer brewed that way thanks to modern brewing methods, it still tips its hat to its heritage. I suggest you enjoy a cold one while listening to the classic California band: The Beach Boys.

A couple weeks ago, I asked people to share songs with me that featured brand name beers. I couldn’t think of any! Thanks to my friend Ben, a handful of people sent in suggestions, which I am going to be featuring here every other Thursday for Music + Beer (a natural combination).

The other day I was going through my music collection, and I realized I do know a song that features a brand name beer…. and it’s Bud. Joe Jackson’s Heaven and Hell is an awesome concept album that, like microbrews, my dad introduced to me. Every song embodies a cardinal sin, and this one is Sloth:

Give me a Bud and a slice, and leave me alone. If I want your advice, I’ll ask it. They tell me caviar’s nice, but I wouldn’t know. So, what’s it to you? Who needs your airs and your microbrew?